How does Job 22:21 connect with Romans 5:1 about peace with God? Setting the scene Job 22:21 and Romans 5:1 sit hundreds of years apart, yet both anchor the same promise—peace with God. One verse issues an invitation; the other unfolds the finished work that makes the invitation possible. Peace invited – Job 22:21 “Reconcile now and be at peace with Him; thereby good will come to you.” • Eliphaz urges Job to “reconcile” (literally, “yield” or “submit”) to God. • Peace here is not mere calm; it is restored relationship with the Creator. • Goodness flows from that restored relationship—spiritual, moral, and practical blessing. Peace secured – Romans 5:1 “Therefore, since we have been justified through faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” • Justification is a legal declaration: God counts the sinner righteous because of Christ’s atoning work. • Faith is the means by which that justification is received. • The result is the very peace Job 22:21 longs for—now guaranteed, not tentative. Where the verses meet • Same goal: divine peace. • Job 22:21 shows the human responsibility—turn and submit. • Romans 5:1 reveals the divine provision—Christ’s cross makes peace objective reality. • Together they trace the storyline of Scripture: invitation issued, fulfillment accomplished. Flow of thought across the Testaments 1. Call: “Reconcile… be at peace” (Job 22:21). 2. Need: Humanity cannot achieve this peace on its own (Psalm 14:3; Isaiah 64:6). 3. Provision: “The chastisement that brought us peace was upon Him” (Isaiah 53:5). 4. Outcome: “Justified… we have peace with God” (Romans 5:1). 5. Experience: “Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts” (Colossians 3:15). Practical takeaways • Peace with God is more than emotion; it is a settled, legal standing secured by Christ. • Yielding to God (Job 22:21) and trusting Christ (Romans 5:1) are not competing ideas—they are two sides of the same coin. Genuine submission expresses itself in faith, and genuine faith produces submission. • The “good” that “will come to you” (Job) is ultimately the blessing of reconciliation described in Romans. Supporting Scriptures • Isaiah 27:5 – “Let them make peace with Me.” • Ephesians 2:13-14 – Christ “Himself is our peace.” • Colossians 1:19-20 – Peace “through the blood of His cross.” • 2 Corinthians 5:18-20 – Ministry of reconciliation. • John 14:27 – Christ’s own peace given to believers. The Old Testament beckons, the New Testament answers, and every believer stands today in the settled peace that both passages celebrate. |
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